Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major health problem despite the emergence o... more Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major health problem despite the emergence of several preventive and therapeutic modalities. HCC has heterogeneous and wide morpho-molecular patterns, resulting in unique clinical and prognostic criteria. Therefore, we aimed to study the clinical and pathological criteria of HCC to update the morpho-molecular classifications and provide a guide to the diagnosis of this disease. Methods: Five hundred thirty pathologically analyzed HCC cases were included in this study. The clinical and survival data of these cases were collected. Results: Hepatitis C virus is still the dominant cause of HCC in Egypt. Post-direct-acting antiviral agent HCC showed an aggressive course compared to interferon-related HCC. Old age, male gender, elevated alpha-fetoprotein level, tumor size, and background liver were important prognostic parameters. Special HCC variants have characteristic clinical, laboratory, radiological, prognostic, and survival data. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes rather than neutrophilrich HCC have an excellent prognosis. Conclusions: HCC is a heterogenous tumor with diverse clinical, pathological, and prognostic parameters. Incorporating the clinicopathological profile per specific subtype is essential in the treatment decision of patients with HCC. Trial registration: This was a retrospective study that included 530 HCC cases eligible for analysis. The cases were obtained from the archives of the Pathology Department, during the period between January 2010 and December 2019. Clinical and survival data were collected from the patients' medical records after approval by the institutional review board (IRB No. 246/2021) of Liver National Institute, Menoufia University. The research followed the guidelines outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki and registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05047146).
The pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) differs accord... more The pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) differs according to whether prior treatment with interferon (IFN) vs. direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) was administered. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), yes-associated protein 1 (YAP), and transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) play a crucial role in hepatocarcinogenesis. However, their roles in untreated or treated HCV-related HCC development have not been clarified. Therefore, we performed an immunohistochemical study and stained tissue from 83 HCV-related HCC cases using antibodies against COX-2, YAP, and TAZ and correlated their expression with the clinicopathological characteri stics and survival data. The cases were subdivided into 3 groups based on prior HCV treatment. In the 3 groups, COX-2 was significantly higher in HCC tissue compared with adjacent non-tumour liver tissue. However, the expression of YAP/TAZ was not significantly different between HCC and adjacent non-tumour tissue. We further grouped HCC cases into YAP + /TAZ + and YAP-/TAZcases. In the YAP + /TAZ + cases, COX-2 was significantly associated with tumour size, tumour multifocality, and late pathologic stage. No significant difference was observed in COX-2 and TAZ expression as a result of IFN or DAA treatment; however, YAP was significantly higher in IFN-treated HCC. Cyclo-oxygenase-2 overexpression may play a role in late HCC development, while YAP/TAZ could play an early role in HCC progression. Sustained expression of combined YAP/TAZ could mediate the poor prognostic role of COX-2.
Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences
Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an autoimmune inflammatory bowel disease, characterized by... more Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an autoimmune inflammatory bowel disease, characterized by chronic and relapsing inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. Clinical treatments fail to reduce inflammation and induce side effects in nearly 30% of patients. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are immunomodulatory agents that can encourage tissue repair and regeneration. Aim: To investigate the ability of MSCs to differentiate into enterocytes under the mediation of activin a, fibroblastic growth factor 2, and epidermal growth factors and to study the effect of administering MSCs to rats with acetic acid (AA)-induced UC. Methods: MSCs isolated from the umbilical cord were induced to differentiate into enterocytes. The induced cells were morphologically evaluated by flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry. Forty rats were divided into four groups: control, AA-induced UC, differentiated, and undifferentiated MSC treated groups. The acute UC in rats was induced by 3% AA transrectal administrat...
Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection mainly affects ... more Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection mainly affects respiratory system. Later, liver affection has also been reported in the form of marked elevated liver enzymes. However, the association of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) and autoimmune diseases is not clear. Case presentation A female patient with a known history of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHH) for which she was treated with prednisolone was admitted for uncontrolled anemia followed by fever and elevated liver enzymes. All the laboratory and radiological investigations were not typical for COVID-19 or any other etiology. Liver biopsy revealed numerous pale eosinophilic trichrome-positive intracytoplasmic globules. The pathology raised the suspicion for SARS-CoV-2-associated hepatitis, which was confirmed by a positive IgG titer. The patient showed a dramatic improvement on the maintenance dose of prednisolone. Conclusions AIHA patients co-infected with SARS-CoV-2 may be at risk...
ABSTRACT Background Hypertension is a major global health problem. It is a major risk factor of c... more ABSTRACT Background Hypertension is a major global health problem. It is a major risk factor of cardiovascular disease. One of the most used experimental models in studying antihypertensive action is the deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rat. This study aimed to investigate the cardiovascular protective effect of astaxanthin (ASX) in DOCA-salt-induced hypertension and its possible underlying mechanisms. Methods A total of 48 adult male Wistar albino rats were divided into three groups: control, DOCA, and DOCA + ASX. Blood pressure, serum cardiac enzyme levels, some oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarker levels, and lipid profile levels were measured. The weight of the left ventricle to tibial length ratio was calculated. Apoptosis detection and total genomic DNA extraction in aortic and cardiac tissues were investigated. The apoptotic marker BAX was also immunohistochemically assessed in the heart and aorta. Results Compared to the control group, the DOCA group was associated with a significant increase in blood pressure, serum cardiac enzyme levels, oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarker levels, lipid profile except serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL), weight of the left ventricle to tibial length, and total released DNA fragmentation level of the left ventricle and aorta and a significant decrease in reduced glutathione (GSH) and HDL. Compared to the DOCA group, the DOCA + ASX group significantly improved the DOCA-induced changes. Conclusion ASX has beneficial protective effects on DOCA-salt-induced hypertension via DNA fragmentation protection, apoptosis inhibition, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and its effects on lipid levels.
Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most prevalent type of dementia characterized by progressiv... more Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most prevalent type of dementia characterized by progressive cognitive deficits and is a major risk factor for the development of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. This study is aimed at determining the potential neuroprotective effect of sitagliptin (STG) on cognitive deficits in L-methionine-induced VaD in rats and the possible underlying mechanisms. 30 adult male Wistar albino rats were divided equally ( n = 10 ) into three groups: control, VaD, and VaD + STG groups. The cognitive performance of the animals was conducted by open field, elevated plus maze, Y-maze, novel object recognition, and Morris water maze tests. Serum homocysteine, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, total cholesterol, and triglycerides levels were assessed together with hippocampal MDA, SOD, and BDNF. Histopathological and immunohistochemical assessments of the thoracic aorta and hippocampus (CA1 region) were also performed. Chronic L-methionine administration ...
International Journal of Cancer and Biomedical Research, 2021
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a common cancer associated with a high mortali... more Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a common cancer associated with a high mortality rate. Genes that drive HCC development accumulate randomly that could be a target for therapeutic management. In largescale studies, the dysregulation of fibroblast growth factors (FGFRs) was detected in over 7% of cancers and served as an oncogenic signalling pathway. Amplification of FGF19 was found to be associated with the development of HBV and NAFLD related HCC with an ongoing clinical trial for targeting this pathway. Aim: We aimed to study FGF19 in HCV related HCC and to compare its expression within the two main morphological patterns. Material and Methods: This was a retrospective, case-control study that included 76 HCC cases and 53 adjacent nontumour liver, 20 cirrhosis and 20 normal liver tissue as normal control. The Immunohistochemical expression turned into assessed in the studied groups. Results: FGF19 was expressed in 26.3% of HCC cases with no significant difference in its expression between two HCC subgroups (P=0.073). The expression of FGF19 was not differed in the HCC group according to the aetiology (P=0.605), prior HCV treatment (P=0.912) or background liver cirrhosis (P=0.931). The only factor increased FGF19 expression with the marked inflammatory activity of the background liver (P=0.026). COX regression analysis revealed that FGF19 was the single independent factor affecting tumour recurrence (P=0.04). Conclusions: FGF19 is commonly expressed in HCC cases independent from the etiological, background liver or morphological subtypes. FGF19 could be used as an indicator to predict tumour recurrence.
The Egyptian Journal of Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis, 2020
Background Although there is well-proved association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and ... more Background Although there is well-proved association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and active tuberculosis, factors involved in the association between T2DM and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) are scarcely known. Aim The aim of this study was to study the prevalence and risk factors of LTBI in a cohort of Egyptian adults with T2DM including studying the effect of oral hypoglycemic drugs on this prevalence. Patients and methods All patients with T2DM were recruited from Menoufia University Endocrinology outpatient clinic during the period from June to December 2018. Demographic and clinical data, serum glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level, and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube and tuberculin skin test were assessed. Results In all, 102 patients were recruited, according to the QuantiFERON test; 22 (21.6%) patients were diagnosed with LTBI. Their mean age was 54.91±8.85, mean T2DM duration was 9.82±6.54/year, mean HbA1c% was 10.29±1.59, which is significantly hig...
Background The pandemic of COVID19 which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavir... more Background The pandemic of COVID19 which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first described in China as an unexplained pneumonia transmitted by respiratory droplets. Gastrointestinal (GI) and liver injury associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection were reported as an early or sole disease manifestation, mainly outside China. The exact mechanism and incidence of GI and liver involvement are not well elucidated. Main body We conducted a PubMed search for all articles written in the English language about SARS-CoV-2 affecting the GI and liver. Following data extraction, 590 articles were selected. In addition to respiratory droplets, SARS-CoV-2 may reach the GI system through the fecal-oral route, saliva, and swallowing of nasopharyngeal fluids, while breastmilk and blood transmission were not implicated. Moreover, GI infection may act as a septic focus for viral persistence and transmission to the liver, appendix, and brain. In addition to the dire...
American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 2013
Recent data indicate the brain angiotensin-converting enzyme/ANG II/AT1 receptor axis enhances em... more Recent data indicate the brain angiotensin-converting enzyme/ANG II/AT1 receptor axis enhances emotional stress responses. In this study, we investigated whether its counterregulatory axis, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)/ANG-(1–7)/Mas axis, attenuate the cardiovascular responses to acute emotional stress. In conscious male Wistar rats, the tachycardia induced by acute stress (air jet 10 l/min) was attenuated by intravenous injection of ANG-(1–7) [Δ heart rate (HR): saline 136 ± 22 vs. ANG-(1–7) 61 ± 25 beats/min; P < 0.05]. Peripheral injection of the ACE2 activator compound, XNT, abolished the tachycardia induced by acute stress. We found a similar effect after intracerebroventricular injections of either ANG-(1–7) or XNT. Under urethane anesthesia, the tachycardia evoked by the beta-adrenergic agonist was markedly reduced by ANG-(1–7) [ΔHR: saline 100 ± 16 vs. ANG-(1–7) 18 ± 15 beats/min; P < 0.05]. The increase in renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) evoked b...
Background
Although there is well-proved association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)
and ... more Background Although there is well-proved association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and active tuberculosis, factors involved in the association between T2DM and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) are scarcely known. Aim The aim of this study was to study the prevalence and risk factors of LTBI in a cohort of Egyptian adults with T2DM including studying the effect of oral hypoglycemic drugs on this prevalence. Patients and methods All patients with T2DM were recruited from Menoufia University Endocrinology outpatient clinic during the period from June to December 2018. Demographic and clinical data, serum glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level, and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube and tuberculin skin test were assessed. Results In all, 102 patients were recruited, according to the QuantiFERON test; 22 (21.6%) patients were diagnosed with LTBI. Their mean age was 54.91±8.85, mean T2DM duration was 9.82±6.54/year, mean HbA1c% was 10.29±1.59, which is significantly higher than patients without LTBI. Patients on metformin-containing regimens were only 18% (four of 22 cases) among the LTBI patients, and 89.7% of the whole patients with metformin-containing regimen were without LTBI. Multivariant regression showed that age (odds ratio=1.178, P=0.041) and HbA1c% (odds ratio=2.789, P=0.008) were strong predictors for LTBI. Conclusion LTBI is prevalent in patients with T2DM especially among those with older age, longer duration of diabetes mellitus, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, and on nonmetformin regimens. Age and HbA1c are strong predictors of LTBI in T2DM patients.
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a common cancer associated with a high mortali... more Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a common cancer associated with a high mortality rate. Genes that drive HCC development accumulate randomly that could be a target for therapeutic management. In large-scale studies, the dysregulation of fibroblast growth factors (FGFRs) was detected in over 7% of cancers and served as an oncogenic signalling pathway. Amplification of FGF19 was found to be associated with the development of HBV and NAFLD related HCC with an ongoing clinical trial for targeting this pathway. Aim: We aimed to examine FGF19 expression profile in HCV related HCC and to compare its level of expression within the two main morphological patterns. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective, case-control study that included 76 HCC cases and 53 adjacent nontumour liver, 20 cirrhosis and 20 normal liver tissue. FGF19 expression was assessed in the studied groups immunohistochemically.. Results: FGF19 was expressed in 26.3% of HCC cases with no significant difference in its expression between the two HCC subgroups (P=0.073). The expression of FGF19 was not differed in the HCC group according to the aetiology (P=0.605), prior HCV treatment (P=0.912) or background liver cirrhosis (P=0.931). The only factor that associated with increased FGF19 expression was the marked inflammatory activity of the liver (P=0.026). COX regression analysis revealed that FGF19 was the single independent factor affecting tumor recurrence (P=0.04). Conclusions: Given its common expression in HCC independent of etiological, background liver or morphological subtypes, FGF19 could be used as an indicator to predict tumor recurrence in HCC.
Background: The pandemic of COVID19 which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavi... more Background: The pandemic of COVID19 which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first described in China as an unexplained pneumonia transmitted by respiratory droplets. Gastrointestinal (GI) and liver injury associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection were reported as an early or sole disease manifestation, mainly outside China. The exact mechanism and incidence of GI and liver involvement are not well elucidated. Main body: We conducted a PubMed search for all articles written in the English language about SARS-CoV-2 affecting the GI and liver. Following data extraction, 590 articles were selected. In addition to respiratory droplets, SARS-CoV-2 may reach the GI system through the fecal-oral route, saliva, and swallowing of nasopharyngeal fluids, while breastmilk and blood transmission were not implicated. Moreover, GI infection may act as a septic focus for viral persistence and transmission to the liver, appendix, and brain. In addition to the direct viral cytopathic effect, the mechanism of injury is multifactorial and is related to genetic and demographic variations. The most frequently reported GI symptoms are diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and bleeding. However, liver infection is generally discovered during laboratory testing or a post-mortem. Radiological imaging is the gold standard in diagnosing COVID-19 patients and contributes to understanding the mechanism of extra-thoracic involvement. Medications should be prescribed with caution, especially in chronic GI and liver patients. Conclusion: GI manifestations are common in COVID-19 patients. Special care should be paid for high-risk patients, older males, and those with background liver disease.
Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection mainly affects... more Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection mainly affects respiratory system. Later, liver affection has also been reported in the form of marked elevated liver enzymes. However, the association of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) and autoimmune diseases is not clear. Case presentation: A female patient with a known history of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHH) for which she was treated with prednisolone was admitted for uncontrolled anemia followed by fever and elevated liver enzymes. All the laboratory and radiological investigations were not typical for COVID-19 or any other etiology. Liver biopsy revealed numerous pale eosinophilic trichrome-positive intracytoplasmic globules. The pathology raised the suspicion for SARS-CoV-2-associated hepatitis, which was confirmed by a positive IgG titer. The patient showed a dramatic improvement on the maintenance dose of prednisolone. Conclusions: AIHA patients co-infected with SARS-CoV-2 may be at risk of uncontrolled disease and should continue their treatment regimen. Histopathology has a role in the diagnosis of liver affection due to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Background: The pandemic of COVID19 which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavi... more Background: The pandemic of COVID19 which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first described in China as an unexplained pneumonia transmitted by respiratory droplets. Gastrointestinal (GI) and liver injury associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection were reported as an early or sole disease manifestation, mainly outside China. The exact mechanism and incidence of GI and liver involvement are not well elucidated. Main body: We conducted a PubMed search for all articles written in the English language about SARS-CoV-2 affecting the GI and liver. Following data extraction, 590 articles were selected. In addition to respiratory droplets, SARS-CoV-2 may reach the GI system through the fecal-oral route, saliva, and swallowing of nasopharyngeal fluids, while breastmilk and blood transmission were not implicated. Moreover, GI infection may act as a septic focus for viral persistence and transmission to the liver, appendix, and brain. In addition to the direct viral cytopathic effect, the mechanism of injury is multifactorial and is related to genetic and demographic variations. The most frequently reported GI symptoms are diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and bleeding. However, liver infection is generally discovered during laboratory testing or a post-mortem. Radiological imaging is the gold standard in diagnosing COVID-19 patients and contributes to understanding the mechanism of extra-thoracic involvement. Medications should be prescribed with caution, especially in chronic GI and liver patients. Conclusion: GI manifestations are common in COVID-19 patients. Special care should be paid for high-risk patients, older males, and those with background liver disease.
International Journal of Cancer and Biomedical Research
Background: Cisplatin is an anti-cancer drug that is associated with testicular toxicity because ... more Background: Cisplatin is an anti-cancer drug that is associated with testicular toxicity because of its induction of excessive reactive oxygen species. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has been found to express antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Aim: This study aims to investigate if CoQ10 can counter the testicular tissue toxicity caused by cisplatin. Methods: Animals were weighed and randomly divided into four groups (n = 10/each). In group I (control group), rats were received 1% of Tween-80 through intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection for 15 days. Group II (CoQ10 group) were i.p. treated for 15 days with CoQ10 in 1% tween-80 at a dosage of 10mg/kg/day for 15 days. Rats in group III (Cisplatin group) were i.p. treated with a single i.p. injection of cisplatin at a dosage of 7mg/kg on the 5 th day of the experiment. Group IV (CoQ10/cisplatin) were i.p. treated with CoQ10 at a dosage of 10mg/kg/day for 15 days and cisplatin at a dosage of 7mg/kg on the 5 th day of the experiment. Biochemical measurements as well as histological and immunohistochemical morphometric were done. Results: CoQ10 diminished cisplatin induced oxidative stress through reducing lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide levels and increasing the levels of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase and glutathione dehydrogenase. Moreover, CoQ10 significantly decreased the inflammatory response to cisplatin administration by decreasing the proinflammatory mediator tumor necrosis factor-α and increasing the antiinflammatory cytokine IL-10. Treatment with CoQ10 also induced significant improvement in histopathological changes in testes. Conclusion: CoQ10 could protect testes against cisplatin induced injury.
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major health problem despite the emergence o... more Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major health problem despite the emergence of several preventive and therapeutic modalities. HCC has heterogeneous and wide morpho-molecular patterns, resulting in unique clinical and prognostic criteria. Therefore, we aimed to study the clinical and pathological criteria of HCC to update the morpho-molecular classifications and provide a guide to the diagnosis of this disease. Methods: Five hundred thirty pathologically analyzed HCC cases were included in this study. The clinical and survival data of these cases were collected. Results: Hepatitis C virus is still the dominant cause of HCC in Egypt. Post-direct-acting antiviral agent HCC showed an aggressive course compared to interferon-related HCC. Old age, male gender, elevated alpha-fetoprotein level, tumor size, and background liver were important prognostic parameters. Special HCC variants have characteristic clinical, laboratory, radiological, prognostic, and survival data. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes rather than neutrophilrich HCC have an excellent prognosis. Conclusions: HCC is a heterogenous tumor with diverse clinical, pathological, and prognostic parameters. Incorporating the clinicopathological profile per specific subtype is essential in the treatment decision of patients with HCC. Trial registration: This was a retrospective study that included 530 HCC cases eligible for analysis. The cases were obtained from the archives of the Pathology Department, during the period between January 2010 and December 2019. Clinical and survival data were collected from the patients' medical records after approval by the institutional review board (IRB No. 246/2021) of Liver National Institute, Menoufia University. The research followed the guidelines outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki and registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05047146).
The pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) differs accord... more The pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) differs according to whether prior treatment with interferon (IFN) vs. direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) was administered. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), yes-associated protein 1 (YAP), and transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) play a crucial role in hepatocarcinogenesis. However, their roles in untreated or treated HCV-related HCC development have not been clarified. Therefore, we performed an immunohistochemical study and stained tissue from 83 HCV-related HCC cases using antibodies against COX-2, YAP, and TAZ and correlated their expression with the clinicopathological characteri stics and survival data. The cases were subdivided into 3 groups based on prior HCV treatment. In the 3 groups, COX-2 was significantly higher in HCC tissue compared with adjacent non-tumour liver tissue. However, the expression of YAP/TAZ was not significantly different between HCC and adjacent non-tumour tissue. We further grouped HCC cases into YAP + /TAZ + and YAP-/TAZcases. In the YAP + /TAZ + cases, COX-2 was significantly associated with tumour size, tumour multifocality, and late pathologic stage. No significant difference was observed in COX-2 and TAZ expression as a result of IFN or DAA treatment; however, YAP was significantly higher in IFN-treated HCC. Cyclo-oxygenase-2 overexpression may play a role in late HCC development, while YAP/TAZ could play an early role in HCC progression. Sustained expression of combined YAP/TAZ could mediate the poor prognostic role of COX-2.
Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences
Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an autoimmune inflammatory bowel disease, characterized by... more Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an autoimmune inflammatory bowel disease, characterized by chronic and relapsing inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. Clinical treatments fail to reduce inflammation and induce side effects in nearly 30% of patients. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are immunomodulatory agents that can encourage tissue repair and regeneration. Aim: To investigate the ability of MSCs to differentiate into enterocytes under the mediation of activin a, fibroblastic growth factor 2, and epidermal growth factors and to study the effect of administering MSCs to rats with acetic acid (AA)-induced UC. Methods: MSCs isolated from the umbilical cord were induced to differentiate into enterocytes. The induced cells were morphologically evaluated by flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry. Forty rats were divided into four groups: control, AA-induced UC, differentiated, and undifferentiated MSC treated groups. The acute UC in rats was induced by 3% AA transrectal administrat...
Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection mainly affects ... more Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection mainly affects respiratory system. Later, liver affection has also been reported in the form of marked elevated liver enzymes. However, the association of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) and autoimmune diseases is not clear. Case presentation A female patient with a known history of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHH) for which she was treated with prednisolone was admitted for uncontrolled anemia followed by fever and elevated liver enzymes. All the laboratory and radiological investigations were not typical for COVID-19 or any other etiology. Liver biopsy revealed numerous pale eosinophilic trichrome-positive intracytoplasmic globules. The pathology raised the suspicion for SARS-CoV-2-associated hepatitis, which was confirmed by a positive IgG titer. The patient showed a dramatic improvement on the maintenance dose of prednisolone. Conclusions AIHA patients co-infected with SARS-CoV-2 may be at risk...
ABSTRACT Background Hypertension is a major global health problem. It is a major risk factor of c... more ABSTRACT Background Hypertension is a major global health problem. It is a major risk factor of cardiovascular disease. One of the most used experimental models in studying antihypertensive action is the deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rat. This study aimed to investigate the cardiovascular protective effect of astaxanthin (ASX) in DOCA-salt-induced hypertension and its possible underlying mechanisms. Methods A total of 48 adult male Wistar albino rats were divided into three groups: control, DOCA, and DOCA + ASX. Blood pressure, serum cardiac enzyme levels, some oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarker levels, and lipid profile levels were measured. The weight of the left ventricle to tibial length ratio was calculated. Apoptosis detection and total genomic DNA extraction in aortic and cardiac tissues were investigated. The apoptotic marker BAX was also immunohistochemically assessed in the heart and aorta. Results Compared to the control group, the DOCA group was associated with a significant increase in blood pressure, serum cardiac enzyme levels, oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarker levels, lipid profile except serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL), weight of the left ventricle to tibial length, and total released DNA fragmentation level of the left ventricle and aorta and a significant decrease in reduced glutathione (GSH) and HDL. Compared to the DOCA group, the DOCA + ASX group significantly improved the DOCA-induced changes. Conclusion ASX has beneficial protective effects on DOCA-salt-induced hypertension via DNA fragmentation protection, apoptosis inhibition, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and its effects on lipid levels.
Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most prevalent type of dementia characterized by progressiv... more Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most prevalent type of dementia characterized by progressive cognitive deficits and is a major risk factor for the development of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. This study is aimed at determining the potential neuroprotective effect of sitagliptin (STG) on cognitive deficits in L-methionine-induced VaD in rats and the possible underlying mechanisms. 30 adult male Wistar albino rats were divided equally ( n = 10 ) into three groups: control, VaD, and VaD + STG groups. The cognitive performance of the animals was conducted by open field, elevated plus maze, Y-maze, novel object recognition, and Morris water maze tests. Serum homocysteine, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, total cholesterol, and triglycerides levels were assessed together with hippocampal MDA, SOD, and BDNF. Histopathological and immunohistochemical assessments of the thoracic aorta and hippocampus (CA1 region) were also performed. Chronic L-methionine administration ...
International Journal of Cancer and Biomedical Research, 2021
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a common cancer associated with a high mortali... more Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a common cancer associated with a high mortality rate. Genes that drive HCC development accumulate randomly that could be a target for therapeutic management. In largescale studies, the dysregulation of fibroblast growth factors (FGFRs) was detected in over 7% of cancers and served as an oncogenic signalling pathway. Amplification of FGF19 was found to be associated with the development of HBV and NAFLD related HCC with an ongoing clinical trial for targeting this pathway. Aim: We aimed to study FGF19 in HCV related HCC and to compare its expression within the two main morphological patterns. Material and Methods: This was a retrospective, case-control study that included 76 HCC cases and 53 adjacent nontumour liver, 20 cirrhosis and 20 normal liver tissue as normal control. The Immunohistochemical expression turned into assessed in the studied groups. Results: FGF19 was expressed in 26.3% of HCC cases with no significant difference in its expression between two HCC subgroups (P=0.073). The expression of FGF19 was not differed in the HCC group according to the aetiology (P=0.605), prior HCV treatment (P=0.912) or background liver cirrhosis (P=0.931). The only factor increased FGF19 expression with the marked inflammatory activity of the background liver (P=0.026). COX regression analysis revealed that FGF19 was the single independent factor affecting tumour recurrence (P=0.04). Conclusions: FGF19 is commonly expressed in HCC cases independent from the etiological, background liver or morphological subtypes. FGF19 could be used as an indicator to predict tumour recurrence.
The Egyptian Journal of Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis, 2020
Background Although there is well-proved association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and ... more Background Although there is well-proved association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and active tuberculosis, factors involved in the association between T2DM and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) are scarcely known. Aim The aim of this study was to study the prevalence and risk factors of LTBI in a cohort of Egyptian adults with T2DM including studying the effect of oral hypoglycemic drugs on this prevalence. Patients and methods All patients with T2DM were recruited from Menoufia University Endocrinology outpatient clinic during the period from June to December 2018. Demographic and clinical data, serum glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level, and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube and tuberculin skin test were assessed. Results In all, 102 patients were recruited, according to the QuantiFERON test; 22 (21.6%) patients were diagnosed with LTBI. Their mean age was 54.91±8.85, mean T2DM duration was 9.82±6.54/year, mean HbA1c% was 10.29±1.59, which is significantly hig...
Background The pandemic of COVID19 which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavir... more Background The pandemic of COVID19 which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first described in China as an unexplained pneumonia transmitted by respiratory droplets. Gastrointestinal (GI) and liver injury associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection were reported as an early or sole disease manifestation, mainly outside China. The exact mechanism and incidence of GI and liver involvement are not well elucidated. Main body We conducted a PubMed search for all articles written in the English language about SARS-CoV-2 affecting the GI and liver. Following data extraction, 590 articles were selected. In addition to respiratory droplets, SARS-CoV-2 may reach the GI system through the fecal-oral route, saliva, and swallowing of nasopharyngeal fluids, while breastmilk and blood transmission were not implicated. Moreover, GI infection may act as a septic focus for viral persistence and transmission to the liver, appendix, and brain. In addition to the dire...
American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 2013
Recent data indicate the brain angiotensin-converting enzyme/ANG II/AT1 receptor axis enhances em... more Recent data indicate the brain angiotensin-converting enzyme/ANG II/AT1 receptor axis enhances emotional stress responses. In this study, we investigated whether its counterregulatory axis, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)/ANG-(1–7)/Mas axis, attenuate the cardiovascular responses to acute emotional stress. In conscious male Wistar rats, the tachycardia induced by acute stress (air jet 10 l/min) was attenuated by intravenous injection of ANG-(1–7) [Δ heart rate (HR): saline 136 ± 22 vs. ANG-(1–7) 61 ± 25 beats/min; P < 0.05]. Peripheral injection of the ACE2 activator compound, XNT, abolished the tachycardia induced by acute stress. We found a similar effect after intracerebroventricular injections of either ANG-(1–7) or XNT. Under urethane anesthesia, the tachycardia evoked by the beta-adrenergic agonist was markedly reduced by ANG-(1–7) [ΔHR: saline 100 ± 16 vs. ANG-(1–7) 18 ± 15 beats/min; P < 0.05]. The increase in renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) evoked b...
Background
Although there is well-proved association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)
and ... more Background Although there is well-proved association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and active tuberculosis, factors involved in the association between T2DM and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) are scarcely known. Aim The aim of this study was to study the prevalence and risk factors of LTBI in a cohort of Egyptian adults with T2DM including studying the effect of oral hypoglycemic drugs on this prevalence. Patients and methods All patients with T2DM were recruited from Menoufia University Endocrinology outpatient clinic during the period from June to December 2018. Demographic and clinical data, serum glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level, and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube and tuberculin skin test were assessed. Results In all, 102 patients were recruited, according to the QuantiFERON test; 22 (21.6%) patients were diagnosed with LTBI. Their mean age was 54.91±8.85, mean T2DM duration was 9.82±6.54/year, mean HbA1c% was 10.29±1.59, which is significantly higher than patients without LTBI. Patients on metformin-containing regimens were only 18% (four of 22 cases) among the LTBI patients, and 89.7% of the whole patients with metformin-containing regimen were without LTBI. Multivariant regression showed that age (odds ratio=1.178, P=0.041) and HbA1c% (odds ratio=2.789, P=0.008) were strong predictors for LTBI. Conclusion LTBI is prevalent in patients with T2DM especially among those with older age, longer duration of diabetes mellitus, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, and on nonmetformin regimens. Age and HbA1c are strong predictors of LTBI in T2DM patients.
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a common cancer associated with a high mortali... more Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a common cancer associated with a high mortality rate. Genes that drive HCC development accumulate randomly that could be a target for therapeutic management. In large-scale studies, the dysregulation of fibroblast growth factors (FGFRs) was detected in over 7% of cancers and served as an oncogenic signalling pathway. Amplification of FGF19 was found to be associated with the development of HBV and NAFLD related HCC with an ongoing clinical trial for targeting this pathway. Aim: We aimed to examine FGF19 expression profile in HCV related HCC and to compare its level of expression within the two main morphological patterns. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective, case-control study that included 76 HCC cases and 53 adjacent nontumour liver, 20 cirrhosis and 20 normal liver tissue. FGF19 expression was assessed in the studied groups immunohistochemically.. Results: FGF19 was expressed in 26.3% of HCC cases with no significant difference in its expression between the two HCC subgroups (P=0.073). The expression of FGF19 was not differed in the HCC group according to the aetiology (P=0.605), prior HCV treatment (P=0.912) or background liver cirrhosis (P=0.931). The only factor that associated with increased FGF19 expression was the marked inflammatory activity of the liver (P=0.026). COX regression analysis revealed that FGF19 was the single independent factor affecting tumor recurrence (P=0.04). Conclusions: Given its common expression in HCC independent of etiological, background liver or morphological subtypes, FGF19 could be used as an indicator to predict tumor recurrence in HCC.
Background: The pandemic of COVID19 which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavi... more Background: The pandemic of COVID19 which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first described in China as an unexplained pneumonia transmitted by respiratory droplets. Gastrointestinal (GI) and liver injury associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection were reported as an early or sole disease manifestation, mainly outside China. The exact mechanism and incidence of GI and liver involvement are not well elucidated. Main body: We conducted a PubMed search for all articles written in the English language about SARS-CoV-2 affecting the GI and liver. Following data extraction, 590 articles were selected. In addition to respiratory droplets, SARS-CoV-2 may reach the GI system through the fecal-oral route, saliva, and swallowing of nasopharyngeal fluids, while breastmilk and blood transmission were not implicated. Moreover, GI infection may act as a septic focus for viral persistence and transmission to the liver, appendix, and brain. In addition to the direct viral cytopathic effect, the mechanism of injury is multifactorial and is related to genetic and demographic variations. The most frequently reported GI symptoms are diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and bleeding. However, liver infection is generally discovered during laboratory testing or a post-mortem. Radiological imaging is the gold standard in diagnosing COVID-19 patients and contributes to understanding the mechanism of extra-thoracic involvement. Medications should be prescribed with caution, especially in chronic GI and liver patients. Conclusion: GI manifestations are common in COVID-19 patients. Special care should be paid for high-risk patients, older males, and those with background liver disease.
Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection mainly affects... more Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection mainly affects respiratory system. Later, liver affection has also been reported in the form of marked elevated liver enzymes. However, the association of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) and autoimmune diseases is not clear. Case presentation: A female patient with a known history of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHH) for which she was treated with prednisolone was admitted for uncontrolled anemia followed by fever and elevated liver enzymes. All the laboratory and radiological investigations were not typical for COVID-19 or any other etiology. Liver biopsy revealed numerous pale eosinophilic trichrome-positive intracytoplasmic globules. The pathology raised the suspicion for SARS-CoV-2-associated hepatitis, which was confirmed by a positive IgG titer. The patient showed a dramatic improvement on the maintenance dose of prednisolone. Conclusions: AIHA patients co-infected with SARS-CoV-2 may be at risk of uncontrolled disease and should continue their treatment regimen. Histopathology has a role in the diagnosis of liver affection due to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Background: The pandemic of COVID19 which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavi... more Background: The pandemic of COVID19 which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first described in China as an unexplained pneumonia transmitted by respiratory droplets. Gastrointestinal (GI) and liver injury associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection were reported as an early or sole disease manifestation, mainly outside China. The exact mechanism and incidence of GI and liver involvement are not well elucidated. Main body: We conducted a PubMed search for all articles written in the English language about SARS-CoV-2 affecting the GI and liver. Following data extraction, 590 articles were selected. In addition to respiratory droplets, SARS-CoV-2 may reach the GI system through the fecal-oral route, saliva, and swallowing of nasopharyngeal fluids, while breastmilk and blood transmission were not implicated. Moreover, GI infection may act as a septic focus for viral persistence and transmission to the liver, appendix, and brain. In addition to the direct viral cytopathic effect, the mechanism of injury is multifactorial and is related to genetic and demographic variations. The most frequently reported GI symptoms are diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and bleeding. However, liver infection is generally discovered during laboratory testing or a post-mortem. Radiological imaging is the gold standard in diagnosing COVID-19 patients and contributes to understanding the mechanism of extra-thoracic involvement. Medications should be prescribed with caution, especially in chronic GI and liver patients. Conclusion: GI manifestations are common in COVID-19 patients. Special care should be paid for high-risk patients, older males, and those with background liver disease.
International Journal of Cancer and Biomedical Research
Background: Cisplatin is an anti-cancer drug that is associated with testicular toxicity because ... more Background: Cisplatin is an anti-cancer drug that is associated with testicular toxicity because of its induction of excessive reactive oxygen species. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has been found to express antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Aim: This study aims to investigate if CoQ10 can counter the testicular tissue toxicity caused by cisplatin. Methods: Animals were weighed and randomly divided into four groups (n = 10/each). In group I (control group), rats were received 1% of Tween-80 through intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection for 15 days. Group II (CoQ10 group) were i.p. treated for 15 days with CoQ10 in 1% tween-80 at a dosage of 10mg/kg/day for 15 days. Rats in group III (Cisplatin group) were i.p. treated with a single i.p. injection of cisplatin at a dosage of 7mg/kg on the 5 th day of the experiment. Group IV (CoQ10/cisplatin) were i.p. treated with CoQ10 at a dosage of 10mg/kg/day for 15 days and cisplatin at a dosage of 7mg/kg on the 5 th day of the experiment. Biochemical measurements as well as histological and immunohistochemical morphometric were done. Results: CoQ10 diminished cisplatin induced oxidative stress through reducing lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide levels and increasing the levels of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase and glutathione dehydrogenase. Moreover, CoQ10 significantly decreased the inflammatory response to cisplatin administration by decreasing the proinflammatory mediator tumor necrosis factor-α and increasing the antiinflammatory cytokine IL-10. Treatment with CoQ10 also induced significant improvement in histopathological changes in testes. Conclusion: CoQ10 could protect testes against cisplatin induced injury.
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Papers by Eman Sweed
Although there is well-proved association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)
and active tuberculosis, factors involved in the association between T2DM and
latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) are scarcely known.
Aim
The aim of this study was to study the prevalence and risk factors of LTBI in a cohort
of Egyptian adults with T2DM including studying the effect of oral hypoglycemic
drugs on this prevalence.
Patients and methods
All patients with T2DM were recruited from Menoufia University Endocrinology
outpatient clinic during the period from June to December 2018. Demographic and
clinical data, serum glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level, and
QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube and tuberculin skin test were assessed.
Results
In all, 102 patients were recruited, according to the QuantiFERON test; 22 (21.6%)
patients were diagnosed with LTBI. Their mean age was 54.91±8.85, mean T2DM
duration was 9.82±6.54/year, mean HbA1c% was 10.29±1.59, which is significantly
higher than patients without LTBI. Patients on metformin-containing regimens were
only 18% (four of 22 cases) among the LTBI patients, and 89.7% of the whole
patients with metformin-containing regimen were without LTBI. Multivariant
regression showed that age (odds ratio=1.178, P=0.041) and HbA1c% (odds
ratio=2.789, P=0.008) were strong predictors for LTBI.
Conclusion
LTBI is prevalent in patients with T2DM especially among those with older age,
longer duration of diabetes mellitus, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, and on
nonmetformin regimens. Age and HbA1c are strong predictors of LTBI in T2DM
patients.
Although there is well-proved association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)
and active tuberculosis, factors involved in the association between T2DM and
latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) are scarcely known.
Aim
The aim of this study was to study the prevalence and risk factors of LTBI in a cohort
of Egyptian adults with T2DM including studying the effect of oral hypoglycemic
drugs on this prevalence.
Patients and methods
All patients with T2DM were recruited from Menoufia University Endocrinology
outpatient clinic during the period from June to December 2018. Demographic and
clinical data, serum glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level, and
QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube and tuberculin skin test were assessed.
Results
In all, 102 patients were recruited, according to the QuantiFERON test; 22 (21.6%)
patients were diagnosed with LTBI. Their mean age was 54.91±8.85, mean T2DM
duration was 9.82±6.54/year, mean HbA1c% was 10.29±1.59, which is significantly
higher than patients without LTBI. Patients on metformin-containing regimens were
only 18% (four of 22 cases) among the LTBI patients, and 89.7% of the whole
patients with metformin-containing regimen were without LTBI. Multivariant
regression showed that age (odds ratio=1.178, P=0.041) and HbA1c% (odds
ratio=2.789, P=0.008) were strong predictors for LTBI.
Conclusion
LTBI is prevalent in patients with T2DM especially among those with older age,
longer duration of diabetes mellitus, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, and on
nonmetformin regimens. Age and HbA1c are strong predictors of LTBI in T2DM
patients.